Tag: ICO

ICO publishes new fining guidance

Stuart Mitchell

The Information Commissioner’s Office has published new data protection fining guidance setting out how it decides to issue penalties and calculate fines. The guidance provides greater transparency for organisations about how the ICO goes about using its fining power.  Tim Capel, ICO Director of Legal Service, said: “We believe the guidance will provide certainty and clarity for organisations. It shows how we reach one of our most important decisions as a regulator by explaining when, how and why we would issue a fine for a breach of the UK General Data…

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ICO reassures employers they can share staff data in a mental health emergency

Stuart Mitchell

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has published new guidance to give employers more certainty about sharing their workers’ personal details in a mental health emergency. The guidance provides advice on when and how it is appropriate to share workers’ information when the employer believes that someone is at risk of causing serious harm to themselves, or others, because of their mental health. Chris Hogan, ICO Head of Regulatory Strategy, said: “We want to reassure employers that during a mental health emergency they should share necessary and proportionate information without delay…

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ICO and Federal Communications Commission sign Memorandum of Understanding

Stuart Mitchell

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which formalises their commitment to work together to protect people from unwanted nuisance calls, spam messaging and the misuse of private and sensitive data. Building on the parties’ existing collaboration on electronic marketing and antispam regulation through the Unsolicited Communications Network (UCENet), the MoU sets out how the authorities will enable greater information sharing in areas such as technical developments, intelligence and the exploration of potential solutions to issues such as…

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Information Commissioner’s Office tells platforms to respect information rights when moderating online content

Stuart Mitchell

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is working to support people’s information rights online by ensuring organisations understand their data protection obligations when seeking to make their platforms safer.   Content moderation is commonly used by organisations to analyse content generated by users to check if it’s appropriate for publication on their platforms. This process involves using people’s personal information and can cause harm if incorrect decisions are made.  In the regulator’s first guidance on content moderation, the ICO outlines how data protection law applies to these processes and the impacts they…

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ICO urges all app developers to prioritise privacy

Stuart Mitchell

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is reminding all app developers to ensure they protect users’ privacy, following the regulator’s review of period and fertility apps.  Last year, the ICO looked closely at period and fertility apps to understand how they process personal data and identify whether there is any negative impact on users as a result. The review saw the ICO contact several app providers to find out more about their privacy practices, as well as engaging with app users to understand their experiences.  While no serious compliance issues or…

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